US 4,928,511 AGranted

Rotary cup infeed

AssigneeSequa Corporation

InventorEnn Sirvet

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Abstract

Apparatus for forming elongated metal cans from relatively short cups by utilizing a reciprocating ram to drive the cups one at a time through a die pack, is provided with a continuously rotating feeder that transfers the cups from the exit of a gravity feed chute to a receiving station where each cup is indexed for engagement by the ram as it moves forward in its working stroke. The feeder rotates through one complete revolution for each forward-return cycle of the ram and during each revolution thereof a pocket in the feeder receives a cup from the chute, which cup then moves along a curved guideway to a receiving station. Prior to being engaged by a registry formation at the receiving station the cup is engaged by a stripper that removes the cup from the feeder pocket. The feeder continues to drive the cup toward the registry formation while the cup is being stripped from the feeder pocket. A formation on the feeder maintains the cup in engagement with the registry formation while the cup is initially engaged by the ram during forward movement thereof.

Claims29

Dependent claims

Apparatus for processing cup-like circular-sided parts including:

supply means constructed to hold cup-like circular-sided parts disposed side-by-side in a moving stack;
indexing means for locating a circular-sided part at a receiving station for engagement by a movable section of a tool means;
feeding means for separating the most downstream cup-like part in the stack from the remaining cup-like parts in the stack and transferring circular-sided parts one at a time from said supply means to said receiving station;
tool means including a movable section mounted to move along a path that extends through said receiving station;
first means for reciprocating said movable section along said path between a forward position and a return position behind said station, with said movable section when moving forward in a working stroke engaging a circular-sided part taken from said stack and disposed at said station;
said feeding means including a rotatably mounted member having pocket means to receive circular-sided parts from said supply means;
second means for continuously rotating said member about an axis in coordination with movement of said movable section whereby a circular-sided part is disposed at said station for each working stroke of said movable section of said tool means;
said supply means including an exit through which cup-like parts leave one at a time;
a guide for directing circular-sided parts from said exit to said indexing means;
said member including an arcuate lead-in formation extending from said pocket means in the rotational direction for said member;
said lead-in formation receding gradually from said exit toward said axis as said lead-in formation moves past said exit to support and control movement of a cup-like part as it moves through said exit into said pocket means.

8 more elements

Feeding apparatus for moving cylindrical cups one at a time to a location where each of them dwells in a position to have its sidewall elongated by being operated upon by a reciprocating tool during its working stroke which extends through such location;

said feeding apparatus including a chute constructed to position cups as they move side-by-side in a stack, first means defining a receiving station remote from said chute, and a rotatably mounted member for separating the most downstream cup of the stack from the cups upstream of the most downstream cup and then transferring the latter from said chute to said receiving station;
said rotatably mounted member having pocket means to receive cups from said chute;
and
second means for continuously rotating said member about an axis in coordination with operation of a reciprocating tool means whereby a cup is delivered to and dwells at said location for each working stroke of such reciprocating tool means.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.